Chapter 1245 – Buying Clothes
“Um, isn’t that not good?” Older Brother Jayad’s expression changed the moment he saw the French formal wear. Even the shop assistant said, “Um, perhaps it doesn’t quite suit this gentleman’s temperament.”
I certainly knew Older Brother Jayad’s temperament. He had a low-key yet resolute aura. He might not seem remarkable at first glance, but the more you looked, the more he resembled a seasoned warrior.
Therefore, he was particularly suited for simple and understated yet exquisitely crafted British suits that would reveal their high quality upon closer inspection. Well-tailored gentleman’s attire could also highlight his capable physique.
These shop assistants were indeed from a high-end clothing store, and their aesthetics were commendable. However, I didn’t need what was suitable for Older Brother Jayad; I needed something that accentuated extravagance.
“No need to say more. We need that style; go find some for him,” I stated authoritatively.
“Parul, I really can’t wear such complicated clothes,” Older Brother Jayad quickly tried to refuse.
“Hmph. Then didn’t Older Brother Jayad buy me a pile of complicated women’s clothes before? I clearly said I didn’t want them, but you still forcefully put them on me?” I eyed my brother askance.
“Uh! This, this is different…” Older Brother Jayad’s cold sweat streamed. He had indeed enjoyed dressing Parul up like a doll before, mainly because Parul was too adorable. Her shy and reluctant expression when changing clothes made him unable to stop.
Now, retribution had arrived. I completely ignored Older Brother Jayad’s objections, using his previous casual dressing of me as a reason to forcefully push him into the fitting room.
After Older Brother Jayad went in, I beckoned a shop assistant and whispered in his ear, “I want clothes that are as luxurious as possible, something that highlights the wearer as very rich, or perhaps very fond of money. It’s okay even if it looks like a parvenu; money is no object, do you understand?”
The shop assistant was bewildered. It was the first time he had heard a customer make such a request. However, the customer is God. Since the customer had this need, he immediately nodded, “Understood. I’ll go find some suitable outfits right away.”
He quickly dispatched other shop assistants to find luxurious clothes that met my requirements, primarily French court-style formal wear. Fortunately, there were quite a few such items in this store.
The Iberian Empire was a neighboring country to France and was greatly influenced by its culture. Most importantly, the Bourbon Dynasty, the former royal family of France, now held power in the Iberian Empire. Ever since the French Revolution, they had lost control of France.
Now, France was ruled by the descendants of Napoleon, the Bonaparte family. Moreover, compared to my original world where generations had passed, the Bourbon family could only glare from the sidelines in the Iberian Peninsula.
The Bourbon Dynasty had also brought French court culture with them. The lavish style and magnificent attire, initiated by the Sun King Louis XIV, were extremely popular among the upper nobility, even directly reflecting their status and position.
However, such gorgeous formal wear usually had to be designed by specialized designers, using the best monster materials, and tailor-made by top artisans. Each piece was unique, with specialized attention paid to the accessories and patterns.
Only the wealthy in the middle class, those new capitalists, preferred the British style: simple, understated, yet elegant Western suits and tuxedos.
In a barony like Cando City, there weren’t many truly high-ranking nobles, nor was there a need for court banquets. Therefore, the focus was mainly on gentleman’s suits.
The court formal wear was merely satisfactory. The shop assistants brought out a few ready-made pieces, most of which were on display for customer reference. They looked passable.
Soon, the shop assistant had a full outfit for Older Brother Jayad and brought him out. He was wearing a vibrant red robe with golden hollowed-out embellishments, layered with at least three pieces of clothing.
Older Brother Jayad looked incredibly awkward, not knowing how to pose his hands and feet. It was the first time he had worn such complicated clothing.
But, to my eyes, he unexpectedly matched the outfit, yet it wasn’t the look of aristocratic luxury I had imagined. It was very strange.
As I was pondering in confusion, the shop assistants beside me wore similarly strange expressions. Then, one shop assistant suddenly had an epiphany and exclaimed, “Isn’t this a Cardinal’s robe?”
Ah! That’s it. It really had that feel. Although the pattern, accessories, and even the style of his outfit differed from a Cardinal’s robe, when Older Brother Jayad wore it, the red and gold color scheme gave off that impression.
Sacred, solemn, and bright, as if he were a Cardinal performing Mass on an altar. It would have been even more convincing if he held a prayer book in his right hand and wore a Cross on his chest.
“No, this color scheme won’t do. Change it,” I shook my head repeatedly. The shop assistants could only take Older Brother Jayad back to change again.
Changing such cumbersome formal wear took a considerable amount of time each time. After quite a while, the shop assistant brought Older Brother Jayad out again. This time, he had changed into a white formal wear.
The sleeves and legs of the formal wear were very loose, puffing up like balloons. The cuffs and hem of the trousers were adorned with lace trim. The front of the garment was split, revealing a black lining inside. A row of round buttons was connected by a golden silk ribbon. Delicate yellow lily patterns were drawn on the clothing.
Although this formal wear wasn’t as dazzling at first glance as the previous one, it possessed a more feminine beauty and was also typical of court fashion.
But I was speechless. How could Older Brother Jayad wear such a girly outfit and still look like a priest? He seemed to be emitting a faint white light from his entire body.
“No, still not right. Can’t you make him look more, more wealthy?” I shook my head again.
The shop assistants looked bewildered. In fact, they hadn’t expected the clothes to have this kind of effect when worn by Jayad.
Finally, after much fussing between me and the shop assistants, and with Older Brother Jayad utterly exhausted, I managed to assemble a passable formal wear set.
First, I realized that the reason Older Brother Jayad didn’t look sufficiently wealthy was that he wasn’t fat enough, and his facial features were too resolute. Especially those emerald green eyes, bright and sharp, which looked nothing like those of an indulged nobleman.
There was no alternative but to use the loosest clothes possible to conceal his excellent physique. As for his face, I could only try to make him look like a pretty boy by dressing him more femininely.
To this end, I chose a large hat, a blue hat with feathers and a ribbon tied on it. The formal wear was also a loose blue-purple gown, also a three-piece ensemble.
If the sense of wealth was insufficient, accessories would compensate. First, a brooch, a ruby butterfly brooch. Then, he wore high-heeled shoes and white thigh-high stockings, white gloves, and rings.
Actually, I really wanted Older Brother Jayad to wear a wavy wig, but he adamantly refused, and there was nothing I could do.
